bandysbooks's reviews
178 reviews

As someone who is part Lebanese, I am a sucker for books featuring Middle Eastern folklore/mythology, so I was very much looking forward to reading The Jinn Daughter. It follows a Hakawati Jinn who shepherds the souls of the dead into the afterlife. One day, she wakes to find that there are no souls and it thrusts her whole world into collapse. 

I thought the MC was a pretty compelling character. Her emotions, especially regarding her family were very realistic and portrayed well. I love that she was so loving and protective of her daughter, but was also in some ways a morally grey character due to the lies she tells to keep her child safe. It definitely made her more complex than I initially thought she was. 

I also really enjoyed the incorporation of stories within this book. As our MC eats pomegranate seeds to release souls to the afterlife, she tells their stories. These little stories within the main story were a nice touch. 

The descriptive prose was also lovely and I always had a clear visual of what was going on or where a scene was taking place. It created a really vivid, lovely reading experience. It also helped really bring some of the fantasy elements to life. 

Unfortunately, I felt that this book struggled with its editing. I will try not to be overly critical as this is an Indie publisher, but there were some fairly significant structural issues that affected the reading experience. 

In my opinion, this book has far too many plot lines and not enough space to explore them. I felt a bit like I had whiplash as on one page our MC would say she was going to do something and then on the next page she would do the exact opposite without any time for the reader to understand why she’d changed her mind. This left me feeling emotionally detached and disconnected from the characters for most of the book. 

I also felt like a couple of the plot points (Ex: the whole situation with the grandfather) were included for no reason. The outcomes did not affect the conclusion of the story nor did they enhance the story. Had these unnecessary plot points been trimmed out, the story would have been much more streamlined and effective. 

That said, I did enjoy this book. I think it is an ambitious debut novel that clearly shows Hanna’s talent. I look forward to seeing how her writing grows with her next book. If you enjoy a fast read with Jinn, Ghouls, and other Middle Eastern folklore, you may enjoy this book. 

*Thank you to the author, Rania Hanna, for a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. 

I was initially drawn into this book due to the setting on a fictional Welsh island. I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book set in Wales prior, so that alone was of interest. If I’m honest, the setting remained the most compelling part of the book. It had me dreaming of little islands off the coast of the UK.

Our MC was pretty well done as well. At the start of the story, she is a clever young woman, but very sheltered and as the story progresses we see her begin to grow. It isn’t always easy watching her make her way through life, but I thought it was realistic.

Another thing that struck me as accurate is the way that modern society portrays old-fashioned cultures. The culture on the island is farming and fishing based, but the researchers following them treat the population as if they are all naive and childlike. Our MC witnesses it upon occasion and we have time to see through her eyes how humiliating it is to be portrayed as this backwards society. 

That said, I did occasionally feel that the book was emotionally detached. It is a relatively short book and at points it felt like it needed more space to grow. 

All in all, if you like books that are character focused, deal with heavy themes, and take a look at life on a remote island, you may enjoy this one. 

I was recommended Grown Ups at a bookstore and it was sold to me as a lighthearted, hilarious, quick read. While it was a quick read, it was definitely not lighthearted or hilarious. 

My main issue with this book was the main character. She is borderline detestable, which can work when handled right. Unfortunately, I also could not relate, empathize, or connect with her or really anyone else in the book. The things that she says and does that are supposed to be quirky and funny really just come across as cruel and insensitive. I know that this was translated from Norwegian, so maybe something was lost in translation?

I will say that the actual writing quality was very good. The story flowed at a steady pace and it was a relatively quick read. The dialogue was handled well and there was enough description to create strong images. The emotional impact was there too. I definitely felt myself feeling discomfort at several points which means it provoked a reaction.

All in all, this want what I expected, but it wasn’t a bad read. If you enjoy difficult characters, messy family relationships, and character driven stories, you may enjoy this one. 

Do you ever come across a book simply because the cover is so bright and lovely? Well, that's exactly how I came across Lucky Girl. While scanning the upcoming releases on Netgalley, I was really drawn in by the cover design. Then I read the summary and I knew this was a book that I'd enjoy. 

Lucky Girl follows a young, sheltered Kenyan woman named Soila as she attends school in the US. She's mostly been raised by her very conservative mother and aunties. As she explores life in the US, she finds things are quite a bit different than she imagined. There is a bit of conflict between her new life and the one she left behind in Kenya.

Soila was great main character because she was relatable in a lot of ways. We see her dealing with the pressures of school, relationships, and family. It all makes sense with who she is supposed to be and where she is coming from. Her reactions to some of the trauma she's experienced were relatable as well. 

I loved the inclusion of Kenyan culture. There were a couple parts that explained Maasai wedding traditions and how they differ from other cultures. I thought this was particularly interesting. And though I didn't always agree with her mother's desire to control things, I did think it was interesting to see what was expected of her as a daughter.

I also really liked that love and romance is a part of this story, but it isn't all rainbows and sunshine. We see difficulties because of cultural expectations on both sides of the relationship, but ultimately the two characters work through them. This struck me as really authentic.

All in all, if you are a fan of Maame by Jessica George, A Daughter In Exile by Bisi Adjabon, or American Street by Ibi Zoboi, you will likely enjoy this book too. It has similar themes and delves deeply into the struggles that come with immigration.

*Thank you to Netgalley, Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu, and Dial Press for the E-ARC of this book. This in no way affects the objectivity of my review. 

I really struggled with this book. The concept sounded very interesting, but the execution left a lot to be desired. The history Mamie shares of fleeing Austria to come to the United States was interesting, but it was such a miniscule part of the story. Most of the page time was spent with Mamie name dropping celebrities, alluding to a secret relationship with Greta Garbo, and arguing with her roommate/caregiver Agatha. The rest of the page time was dedicated to Julian, her grandson, who was honestly an incredibly frustrating character (and not in an endearing way). The level of privilege and entitlement that he has makes him incredibly hard to relate to in any way. He whines endlessly about being trapped in Los Angeles during the pandemic, which like the pandemic sucked, but I don't think it sucked more in Los Angeles than it did anywhere else. 

And Agatha...She is a supporting character. Sort of a friend and caregiver to Mamie. While I at times enjoyed their relationship, I also disliked parts of how Agatha was written. This could partially be due to the person narrating the audiobook, but she felt like she had no real identity. We don't know where she's from. She speaks with a vague accent. She uses snippets from various languages. It felt a bit stereotype-y and uncomfortable. 

Cobalt Red is a book on a subject that I was vaguely aware of, but definitely should know more about. This is one of those books that is horrifically depressing due to the subject matter and at the same time extremely well researched and written. I wish that this could be made required reading when purchasing a smart device. The DRC has been brutalized by colonialism and civil war, so to see it further exploited by Cobalt and Coltan mining is just heartbreaking. 

I did listen to this book on audiobook and I felt that the audio was very well done. Sometimes non-fiction can be a bit dry, but this was narrated well, super compelling, and kept me interested in learning more. 

The Collected Regrets Of Clover was a book that I was hearing a lot of buzz about coming into May 2023. I saw lots of predictions that it would be featured by Book of The Month (which it was) and generally a lot of good feedback. I'm here to add to the chorus. 

This book centers around Clover, a socially isolated woman who works as a Death Doula. As someone who is chronically stoic around death, I found Clover to be a refreshing character. She isn't overly emotional or full of flat platitudes about the next chapter in life. Instead, she is a real person focused on providing real comfort to people as they live out their last days. I also really found myself relating to her in a social sense. While I am not quite as isolated as she is in the start of the book, the segments of this book relating to her childhood and not understanding why people don't like her really hit home in a deep way. I'm sure most people relate to those moments to some degree as we all experience rejection in life. 

As someone who is not at all a romance reader, I was a bit nervous when this book started to verge into the romance territory, especially the love at first sight trope. There was no need to worry though, as the romance was tastefully done and only a minor part of a much larger picture.

The main portion of the plot revolves around wish resolution for a dying client and while I did at times find myself a bit worried that it would delve into cliches, the book thankfully avoided most major tropes. Clover isn't magical and able to fix every wound. She doesn't snap her fingers and cause a dysfunctional family to start behaving in a more functional way. She just provides comfort and safety for the people who allow her to and I really liked that.

 All in all, if you like contemporary fiction with a very relatable character, a sprinkle of romance and a lot of meaning, I think you'll enjoy this book.

The audiobook narration was well done. I found the narrator's voice to fit the story she was telling. She read very smoothly and was easy to understand. 

* Thank you to Netgalley, Mikki Brammer, and St. Martin's Press for the Audio-ARC of this book. This in no way affects the objectivity of my review.

I am admittedly not the biggest reader of middle grade books, but the over and the description sparked my interest. After reading a few really amazing middle grade books for middle grade march, I thought I'd give this one a try. We have a young girl named Uriko/Melony who is first generation American and is finding herself torn between her desires to be more American and her parent's conservative Japanese views. After a birthday wish for things to change, Amanjaku, a mischievous Japanese mythical character arrives. All is fun and games initially, but soon there are serious consequences because of his presence and Melony must make some tough choices.

The thing that I think this book does best is illustrate what it is like to be a first generation child and be torn between the culture you were born into and the one that your parents grew up with. Melony's desire for more freedom and to be more like her American classmates really resonated with me. I grew up in a community of mostly immigrant families and I saw this exact scenario play out quite often. Her desire for independence and trust really butts up against her parents' expectation that she be obedient and passive.

The Amanjaku was an interesting character, but I did find myself wishing the book had delved into his myth a bit more. He sort of arrives suddenly and Melony accepts him without much question. I know she's feeling rebellious and he feeds into that, but she's also a clever and thoughtful girl, so I'm surprised she didn't question things a bit more. I also was a bit confused by some of the things that happened toward the end. Perhaps, as an adult I see some holes that a younger reader might not pick up on as much?

I did really enjoy the exploration of Japanese culture and mythology. I loved the inclusion of social norms, expectations, foods, sayings, etc. It really helped me to understand who this family was and where the parents were coming from in restricting Melony.

All in all, if you are a big fan of middle grade books or have a middle grade reader who enjoys myths, I think this would be a fun read. I think it might be particularly poignant for children who are the kids of immigrants as they may relate to some of Melony's struggles.

*Thank you to Netgalley, Waka T Brown, and Quill Tree Books for this E-ARC. This in no way affects the objectivity of my review.

Have you ever read a book and felt completely unsure about what you just read? That's sort of how I'm feeling after reading The Gifts. This book is a mix of historical fiction and fantasy that follows several different women in 1800s England as they confront societal views and pressures. I wanted to love this as it has many of my favorite things...fantasy, historical fiction, women confronting the patriarchy, etc., but something about it just didn't work as well as I'd hoped. 

Let me start with the positives....

I really enjoyed the mix of science and religion in this book. We have a villain who is a scientific mind, but becomes convinced that God is sending him signs. The more he comes to believe that he's divinely chosen, the more he loses sight of logic and his morality. I thought that was explored well and in some ways relevant to some of the conflicts in the world today. 

I also appreciated the look at women's roles in society. We have four strong, smart women who are basically held captive, sometimes figuratively and sometimes literally, by society's wants and needs. I thought this depiction was quite accurate to the times.

I also commend the author for coming up with a unique way to discuss medical development and experimentation in the 1800s. This is a concept that is explored a lot (The Way of All Flesh and Anatomy come to mind as recent examples), but this book takes a completely different approach. I didn't always love the choices the author made, but she certainly can't be accused of repeating previous narratives. 

That said, there was a lot that didn't work for me..

While I love the idea of having four different women narrating the story, I felt that it wasn't executed as well as it could have been. Occasionally, the POVs sound too similar and at times it made the story a bit clunky.

There are some pretty graphic depictions of animal abuse and experimentation on a dog. I understand that that might be authentic to the times that this book is set in, but it sort of crops up (at least the first time) with zero warning. I'm not even someone who is particularly squeamish, but had I known that scene was coming I'd have skipped over it. While I get that the author was trying to show who this scientist was ethically, I don't really think such detailed scenes of animal cruelty were necessary. I think it was used for shock value more than anything.

The elements of magical realism (the women sprouting angel wings) were interesting, but only explained in the vaguest of possible ways. There was some insinuation that the wings crop up due to extreme emotional duress, but it's never explained how or why. Is this an act of God? Is this a genetic anomaly? Why does it only happen to some women instead of all women who have suffered severe trauma? I wish the book had gone further in explaining what was happening. 

The previous paragraph is quite funny when you consider that otherwise, the telling and explaining was quite heavy handed. We are spoon fed a lot of details about the setting, the characters, and the villain. It's only when it comes to the magical realism that the flow of information dries up. This is one of those cases of the book telling not showing overall. 

And the conclusion...I got through the entirety of this book hoping that something profound would happen at the end to save it, but it was a fade to black for the most part. It sort of felt like the author was unsure of how to explain this magical element, so she just avoided it by giving us a vague ending. 

All in all, if you enjoy historical fiction about the 1800s with magical realism elements, you might enjoy this one. 

*Thank you to Netgalley, Liz Hyder, and Sourcebooks Landmark for the E-ARC of this book. This in no way affects the objectivity of my review. 

I recently found this book while scanning the new release audiobook section on Netgalley and I'm so glad I did. While I had heard of the author previously, I had yet to read their writing. What a spectacular introduction this was! 

Kantika is a multi-generational story about a Jewish family that spans a large chunk of time and several continents. We initially follow Rebecca, who comes from a well to do family in Istanbul. After financial difficulties, the family moves to Barcelona and further difficulties see Rebecca sent to New York (via Cuba) for a arranged second marriage. Rebecca finds herself with her hands full due to her young disabled step daughter who has previously been coddled and protected from the outside world. 

First of all, I enjoyed Rebecca and Luna both as characters immensely. They are both stubborn and strong, but in different ways. I saw them as sort of parallels of each other and I think that's why Rebecca is so determined to help Luna succeed. All of the other characters were well done too, but Rebecca and Luna and their relationship really shines in particular/

I loved how this book discussed so many important topics. It covered immigration to the US in a way that was factual to the time, but also still resonates with modern day. It talked about the rising antisemitism across Europe and the fears that came with it. It talked about sexuality and the importance of  honesty between romantic partners. It talked about the way we set expectations for people based on our perception of their abilities. I'm sure there were quite a few other important themes, but those were just a couple that stood out. This book was genuinely packed with meaning. 

I'll admit that I was nervous when I saw how much time and how many places this book spanned, but my nerves were all for nothing. This was an extraordinarily ambitious project, but Graver managed it well. I never felt like the book dragged or got clunky. It included enough detail and time in each location to allow the reader to settle in. 

One other thing that was a bonus for me was the inclusion of language. I have not had the chance to hear Ladino before, but as a fluent Spanish speaker, I found it easy to understand the phrases and songs written in Ladino. The differences in pronunciations and occasional unfamiliar words were so interesting and I could see all the ties into modern Spanish. I don't know if this would be quite so interesting for someone who does not speak Spanish, but I was pretty fascinated. 

If I am nitpicking, the only real critique I have is that the first half of the book is perhaps a bit slower than the second half, but I personally did not see that as a problem. I enjoyed taking my time to understand who Rebecca was, what was going on, and the challenges she faced. 

All in all, if you are a fan of character focused novels, multi-generational sagas and/or historical fiction, I highly recommend this book. I will certainly be on the lookout for books by Elizabeth Graver in the future.

As for the narration of the audiobook, I found it really well done. I can only base this comment on my fluency in Spanish and my understanding of how Ladino is different, but I thought the narrator sounded very good when pronouncing words in Ladino. It is not an easy task to switch back and forth between languages, but the narrator did it flawlessly. I also thought she brought all of the characters to life quite well. If you are a fan of audiobooks, I'd definitely recommend the audiobook version if only to hear the proper pronunciation. 

*Thank you to Netgalley, Elizabeth Graver, and Metropolian Books for this Audio- ARC. This in no way affects the objectivity of my review.